Policy and Legislation

Few pollsters predicted the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election. Education was not a primary talking point during the campaign. The initial questions people who have an interest in education are asking: “What will our President-Elect do? and what is on his agenda?”

It is a very tight Presidential race, and for many House and Senate seats. Election results can influence the legislative agenda during a lame duck session of Congress and a good part of Congress’ willingness to be active will be determined by the election’s outcomes.

Recent polls have surveyed public attitudes toward school voucher and charter school programs. Last year, a Gallup poll found that 70 percent of Americans opposed school vouchers, the highest percentage in two decades of polling on the question. The public's view of charter schools is positive. A 2014 Gallup poll found that support for charter schools rose to 70 percent, up from 68 percent in 2013.

Congress is on a five-week recess that began on Aug. 1 and returns on Sept. 8. Don’t blame them for taking the time off; they are legally required to do so. Yes, they are off campaigning for himself or herself or someone else, as well as taking a vacation. Many would question whether they deserve it, given the number of critical issues left unresolved or unfinished.

As the 2014 mid-term elections get closer, members of Congress have found at least one issue where they have come to an agreement that is both bipartisan and bicameral. After months of negotiations, leaders from the House and Senate introduced the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

On Tuesday, March 4, 2014, President Obama announced his proposed 2015 Fiscal Year Budget. In recent years, the President’s budget has become more of a ritual than a reality. Maybe better described as a White House wish list. Though required by statute, these budgets are usually dead on arrival and until last year, nothing was ever resolved quickly or on time.